Army Rapid Modernisation: Antony dusts VK Singh's blueprint

SUJAN DUTTA
New Delhi, July 2: Defence minister A.K. Antony today asked the army to restructure its organisation to raise more forces particularly for the China border and procure hardware within a two-year deadline.

Antony was practically dusting off a mothballed â€œtransformationâ€ proposal by the former army chief at the first meeting with the new army chief, General Bikram Singh, on a two-year modernisation programme for the army.

â€œThe defence minister asked the army to prioritise and focus on critical areas and suggested systemic and organisational changes to achieve the desired result in a short time-span,â€ a defence ministry official said after the meeting.

Gen. Bikram Singh and his team including the vice-chief, Lt Gen. S.K. Singh, gave a presentation to the defence ministry on the modernisation programme. Although this was Gen. Bikram Singhâ€™s first such meeting, it is the third in a series after the leak of former army chief, Gen. V.K. Singhâ€™s letter to the Prime Minister on critical shortages in the arsenal.

In his â€œtransformation proposalsâ€, sent after a two-year study to the ministry, the former army chief had suggested streamlining of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), the Army Service Corps (ASC) and the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) under a single â€œlogistics branchâ€.

He had also proposed raising two mountain strike corps (of about 30,000 troops each) specifically for the Northeast and the border with China. The finance ministry had pointed to a cash crunch to shoot down the proposal for two corps. But the army has begun raising two divisions for a corps in the Northeast.

Antony told the new army chief and his team that â€œforce accretionâ€ should continue apace. The â€œforce accretionâ€ would involve deployment of more troop and cargo-carrying aircraft (airlifters), acquisition and deployment of â€œcombat air assetsâ€, chiefly ground-attack helicopters, modern ammunition dumps and acquisition and deployment of pilotless aircraft in the eastern commandâ€™s area of responsibility.

Last fortnight, the new army chief, Gen. Bikram Singh had asked the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to accelerate the building and widening of strategic routes to and from the frontier with China. He was reviewing the work on 20 strategic roads in the Northeast including 10 in Arunachal and 12 in Ladakh.

Defence ministry sources said that Mondayâ€™s review meeting flagged six priority areas for the army:

â€¢ Enhancement of airlift capability

â€¢ Improvement in storage of ammunition stocks

â€¢ Acquisition and deployment of ground-attack helicopters. (in addition to the possible acquisition of 22 Boeing-made Apache helicopters the army is set to order more than a 100 Light Combat Helicopters)

â€¢ Speeding up artillery acquisition â€” the slowest procurement of hardware because the army has not got a heavy gun since the Bofors 26 years back. The army is now set to buy the US-made M777 ultra light howitzers that can be underslung from helicopters and deployed in the mountains.

â€¢ Improved night vision devices, and

â€¢ Acquisition of pilotless aircraft and new surveillance equipment.

Gen. Bikram Singh was accompanied to the meeting by, among others, the director-general of military operations (DGMO) and the master general ordnance.

It was only for kickbacks only these plans of $10 billion approx for Two new mountain corps were rejected by MoF.Coz VKS was the whistle-blower hence working with him on new plans were dangerous for congress coz they would not have made the cuts in kickbacks.Now VKS gone and pliant chief at helm they have dusted off all those files.Gen dalbir singh suhag's case points to how pliant new chief is.

It was only for kickbacks only these plans of $10 billion approx for Two new mountain corps were rejected by MoF.Coz VKS was the whistle-blower hence working with him on new plans were dangerous for congress coz they would not have made the cuts in kickbacks.Now VKS gone and pliant chief at helm they have dusted off all those files.Gen dalbir singh suhag's case points to how pliant new chief is.

It was only for kickbacks only these plans of $10 billion approx for Two new mountain corps were rejected by MoF.Coz VKS was the whistle-blower hence working with him on new plans were dangerous for congress coz they would not have made the cuts in kickbacks.Now VKS gone and pliant chief at helm they have dusted off all those files.Gen dalbir singh suhag's case points to how pliant new chief is.

Click to expand...

The two cores that will come as accretion is not only China specefic. It is better you start matching those accretion. It is meant to burn your pockets, and definetly to give trouble to your hearts. If I presume correctly.

Bikram Singh having been the Eastern Army commander would know the requirement to tackle the Chinese in the East and so will be going hell for leather to ensure that a formidable defence and offence capability is built up so that the Chinese know where to get off!

It was only for kickbacks only these plans of $10 billion approx for Two new mountain corps were rejected by MoF.Coz VKS was the whistle-blower hence working with him on new plans were dangerous for congress coz they would not have made the cuts in kickbacks.Now VKS gone and pliant chief at helm they have dusted off all those files.Gen dalbir singh suhag's case points to how pliant new chief is.

Click to expand...

it was not only for KICKBACKS ( as you mentioned ) but also for KICKFRONTS !

kick(the)back(side) is towards pakland and kick(the)front(side) is towards prc-dragon !

but on a more serious note - this is great news that Minister and Forces chief are working together - inida beginning to get it together perhaps like never before - keep improving india

I don't think that the professional competence of Gen V.K. Singh was ever in doubt. But since he's gone, this will conveniently be the gift of Gen Bikram Singh and Anthony to the nation.

Sir, what is your opinion on this proposed "logistic branch"? Can this be done or will it be dismissed as "too much change"?

Click to expand...

I have not read the Paper on the subject and so I cannot comment.

However, I wonder how one single Logistic Branch can handle such diverse faculties. For instance generalised officer can operate ASC and Ordnance, but he sure would find it difficult to operate an EME unit since only an engineering graduate would understand the equipment and it maintenance and repairs.

However, having one Branch would cut down on a lot of personnel, both at the supervisory as also hands on levels, to include officers and men.

In this connection there have been proposals from time to time to do away with the Central Ordnance Deports and fourth echelon ASC and EME facilities. But then it has never come to pass since these facilities employ a huge task force of civil labour and technicians and their unions will create havoc. The loss of job will also have a huge repercussion on votes! So, it is politics at play where the Army cannot be made mean and lean!

However, I wonder how one single Logistic Branch can handle such diverse faculties. For instance generalised officer can operate ASC and Ordnance, but he sure would find it difficult to operate an EME unit since only an engineering graduate would understand the equipment and it maintenance and repairs.

However, having one Branch would cut down on a lot of personnel, both at the supervisory as also hands on levels, to include officers and men.

In this connection there have been proposals from time to time to do away with the Central Ordnance Deports and fourth echelon ASC and EME facilities. But then it has never come to pass since these facilities employ a huge task force of civil labour and technicians and their unions will create havoc. The loss of job will also have a huge repercussion on votes! So, it is politics at play where the Army cannot be made mean and lean!

Click to expand...

Maybe what they meant was to bring these departments under one roof with autonomy to make sure that the right hand knows what the left is doing, IMO.

It is somewhat reminiscent of the ill fated case of separating SF from the Parachute Regiment. This is a much bigger deal.

I don't think that the professional competence of Gen V.K. Singh was ever in doubt. But since he's gone, this will conveniently be the gift of Gen Bikram Singh and Anthony to the nation.

Sir, what is your opinion on this proposed "logistic branch"? Can this be done or will it be dismissed as "too much change"?

Click to expand...

All over the world there is logistics cadre only. There is nothing known as ASC, EME, etc. If Engineers can be well known and handled by GS Branch why not logistics. It fact this reality is ell recognised by the creation of generalist branch called DG OL. How come IAS successfully run and control the Engineering services of all ministries including national Highways.

Separation of logistics is good enough upto battalion level where specialist cadres of logistics such as ASC AOC must exist only upto Subedar Majors level. The officers must be from the logistics cadre as per their experiences and qualifications / training.

Above battalions levels, the brigadiers level positions of logistics such as Brig EME can be from logistics cadre rather than form EME. That will make the logistics cadre more competitive and professional. Say for example Brig EME, Brig AOC may be from the same AOC backgrounds being meritorious in the cadre or Brig ASC may be a guy from gen cadre based on merit but shifted to Logistics.

Similarly there have to be specific appointments for Logistics cadre at Command and Army HQ level.

Entry into Logistics cadre should only be after rendering six years of Arms Service only, on confidential recommendation of the CO or on being unfit for the Arms due to aptitude or physical conditions.
Indian Army even today functions of the concepts of Colonial Time logistics notions. Things have changed quite a lot . Tody's modern Base workshops are Ferozpur, Amritsar, Batala, Ludhiyana, Bhatinda, Leh, Tawang , Pasighats and Dimapurs, Jaisalmer Bhuj etc... why does one need Base workshops, field depot, when these are fully manned by civilians.
When things would be delivered by trains upto Attari would Indian Army need fourth line transport ?? Air delivery capabilities have gone up tremendously.

We are no more a colonial country of serfs and peasants. We need fighting hands and not feeding hands. The area we capture would feed us. Tibet, Punjab, Sindh or POK would feed the Indian Army. Why worry ??